Burning Close
by Satsuki Bun
Summary: He's too scared to love. She yearns to be loved. He's the master of love. Physical intimacy is hard to peel off. Once attached, forever bonded. Slightly AU. CloudxTifaxZack
1. Chapter 1

**Burning Close**

He's too scared to love. She yearns to be loved. He's the master of love. _Physical intimacy is hard to peel off. Once attached, forever bonded._

CloudxTifaxZack

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

This story takes place roughly a year after Advent Children and _slightly AU_.

Some things to take note of:

Midgar wasn't destroyed during Meteor Fall, but people have started moving outwards toward Edge.

 _Please read this as if it's AU_ , but most background of the original story will be here and there. Thank you :)

It's been a long while since I've last written anything. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything; FFVII belongs to SquareEnix.

* * *

 **Burning Close**

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

"Do you...love me?" Her voice was a plea.

"Tifa...I..." Cloud hesitated, eyes swimming with pain. "I'm not worth your love."

She knew. She knew that would be his answer. Yet, she didn't understand. "Why?"

"I...don't know how to explain," he muttered.

"Try me." She stood her ground. No more dillydallying. She was tired of it. Sick of it.

"Please, Tifa..." The azure eyes were cast down, like a child being scolded.

"Then tell me. Why are you still here if you don't love me?" Her voice quivered slightly. She wasn't sure if she wanted the answer.

At that, the blue eyes widened, peering at the ruby ones. "It's not that I don't...love you. Why would you think that?"

Tifa smirked, a twisted expression on her beautiful face. "Because I don't know what to feel anymore? Because whenever I try to get close, you push away? Because we were never clear with each other to begin with? Because I don't know when you'll leave me again?"

The bedroom darkened as thick clouds covered the moonlight seeping through the curtains.

"I promised back then that I won't run away anymore," he replied, slightly defensive. "It's been more than a year since then—"

"Yet I never feel like you're _here_ , Cloud." The woman turned away from him, staring down at her hands as if she was holding onto something unobtainable. "...Where are you?" she whispered in the dark.

Hands rolled into fists as the Mako-infused eyes stared at the smooth brown hair. "I..."

 _Please just tell me you love me..._ Hot tears were bound to spill any second.

"I'm sorry." Suddenly, the man turned to leave, heavy boots hitting the wooden floor.

" _What about that night?_ " Her last chance. "Under the Highwind?" Her final weapon.

The footsteps ceased.

She knew he'd stop. It was finally time to face the long buried memory, locked up deep within their hearts. It had been something unspoken, something forbidden, something that was there, yet not really here, something that might cause irreversible damage to their relationship— it was almost taboo.

Slowly turning around, the barmaid expected to stare at the back of the blonde's head, but instead, found cerulean eyes fixed onto hers. Unknown emotions swam in the pools of blue. Anger? Pain? Sympathy? _He'_ _s feeling sorry for me._

"Tifa..." His brows were furrowed, lips pursed as if the woman standing in front of him was forcing him to choose between life or death.

"What was that night?" Tifa's breath hitched in her throat. Her heart pounded like mad against her chest.

"I thought...that night..." the blonde hesitated. "I thought...you knew how I feel? You felt it...didn't you?"

"I want to hear the words, Cloud," she whispered. "That's all."

"Tifa...I..." the man murmured, eyes boring into the ruby ones for a long moment.

 _Please, just tell me. I just want to hear it. That_ _'s all..._ She begged him through her pleading eyes. If anything, the blue eyes only faded even more.

"I can't," he said finally, looking away hastily. "Like I said, I'm not worth it. I'm not worth your love—"

"Who's to determine who's worth my love or not?" Tifa demanded. She clutched at her sides angrily.

The harsh tone caused Cloud to shrink back toward the door, into the shadows.

"No, please, don't—" Tifa took the few short steps forward and reached up to the man's cheeks, pulling him back. "Please don't leave..." Her lips quivered.

Closing his eyes, the man found himself leaning into the soft, delicate hands. "You said actions speak more than words..."

"Sometimes all a woman really needs _are_ the words."

"You know how I feel..."

"I don't know anymore!" Tifa withdrew her hands abruptly and hid her face, pushing back the tears. She was frustrated with the man, frustrated with herself. Taking a deep shuddering breath, she whispered, "after that night...we never took the chance to really figure out ourselves." She paused, stopping her hands from shaking. "After saving the Planet...you had Geostigma. You hid from us. You left. You—"

"I came back," Cloud interjected.

Tifa's eyes gleamed up at the man. "Yes..." she murmured. "Yes, you came back. Because Aerith forgave you. You no longer felt guilty for her death."

"No, it's not just that."

She stared at the man then, waiting for him to elaborate. After several stilled minutes, the barmaid sighed, defeated. "So what else is it, Cloud?"

"I don't know—"

"Then tell me how you feel after this—"

Without another word, fingers reached and tugged at the blonde spikes, bringing down the thin lips onto hers. At once, an all too familiar warmth cascaded through her veins to the tips of her hair. The nostalgic scent of musk and mountain breeze filled her nose, drowning her whole. Her heart thundered loudly in her ears as she tampered with the forbidden fruit.

For a split second, Tifa thought Cloud was going to push her away. Unexpectedly, he deepened the kiss, tongue suddenly pushing past her lips, invading her mouth. She tasted of vodka and cherries and honey, bitter and sweet all at the same time. Strong calloused fingers found their way through the dark strands and onto the small of her back, closing the small millimeters between them, bodies pressed tight.

Slender fingers linked themselves around the man's neck. Too afraid to let go. Too afraid for the kiss to end. A kiss of passion. A kiss of desperation.

A rush of emotions surged through Tifa's mind as she held on tight. Tears flowed down the porcelain cheeks without her knowing. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow, tears of relief, she didn't know. A moan escaped her as the man moved away from her lips, trailing hot kisses down her neck, along her collarbone, up her cheeks, and to her ear.

"Do you know now...?" he growled, nibbling her earlobe.

Another moan brought the man back to her lips, invasion rougher this time. Pushing her back against the wall, Cloud bit the brunette's neck, repeating the question again. " _Do you know now?_ "

Tifa gripped onto the muscular shoulders, trying her best to stay upright as the man pressed his arousal into her. Her breath quickened. Her face flushed. Her blood boiled. Burning sensations surged from the pulse on her neck all throughout her body.

"Tell me!" she gasped.

Silence. Everything stopped.

Ruby eyes fluttered open and found the usually calm blue eyes glaring at her, dark shadows burning in the pupils.

"Is _this_ not enough?" the man hissed.

A single tear fell from Tifa's eye. "I just want to hear it..." Her voice was soft, feeble.

" _I'_ _m sorry._ "

And he was gone.

* * *

She was done. The man was obviously not ready for commitment, nor was he willing to move a step forward in their relationship. He didn't deserve one more chance. _He'_ _s had plenty of them! Just three simple words. Three! Just three words to tell me how much he loves me and he chose not to say it. He's saving his face instead of wanting me. That_ _'_ _s fine with me._

Zipping the black duffel bag close, Tifa Lockhart was ready to leave. Leave behind the past. Leave behind Seventh Heaven. Leave behind what she dreamed to be heaven. Whatever her dream was.

"Tifa..."

She turned around to see her ninja friend standing by the doorway, a frown on the young face.

"Yuffie," she gave a small smile.

"Are you sure about this?" Yuffie gave her a tight hug. "You know Cloud doesn't want this..."

"I don't know what he wants," Tifa replied. "Anyway, it's about time I think about myself, right?"

She glanced down at her hands. The very hands that fought for the world, fought for her friends, fought for her love. When did she ever fight for herself? When was the last time she actually thought about herself? All throughout the journey, she had always been there for her allies, putting a smile on her face even when her heart's tearing apart in pain and fear, always cheering them to stay strong...But when was the last time she told herself to "stay strong"?

Everyone had moved forward in their lives. Nanaki was still fighting "Gilligan," but with everyone's help, he was optimistic for the future. Cid and Shera were expecting their first child at the end of the year. He, Reeve, the WRO, and Barret had successfully helped various towns around the planet incorporate their newfound fuel source. Hoping to spend more time with Marlene, Barret now officially work at WRO's headquarter in Edge. Yuffie was also in the WRO, and thus, moved in with Barret, Marlene, Denzel, Cloud, and Tifa. Even Vincent helped out with WRO occasionally, though he seemed to be the only one who never really "moved forward."

And yet, what was she doing? Desperately hoping to feel loved, to be loved. Desperately clinging onto something that was never hers to begin with. It was time for her to move on.

"I'm not far," Tifa smiled. "I'm just gonna help out Johnny at Midgar."

"He's married, isn't he?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow.

Tifa laughed. "Yes, but Johnny and _his wife_ asked me to help out at their bar. They just had a baby and Mona couldn't handle it by herself yet, so Johnny—"

"But what about your bar?" Yuffie interrupted. "Your _Seventh Heaven_? Isn't this _yours_?"

"It's just a short while—"

"Tifa, this is your _home_ —"

"Please, Yuffie," the martial artist glanced at the younger friend. "I just need some space away."

"TIFA!"

A loud coarse voice and pounding footsteps sounded from the hallway.

"Why are you— _what the hell_ —what are you doin'?!" Barret bellowed. Brown eyes darted back and forth from the duffel bag to Tifa. "Y-you're really packin'?"

Smiling ( _always a_ bright _smile on my face_ ), Tifa said, "Johnny asked me to help out at his bar while he helps Mona with their baby. I'll be away for a short while. Don't worry."

Barret gaped as he watched his friend throw the duffel bag over her shoulder, ready to leave. "W-what? I thought it was somethin' to do with Spike—?"

"It is..." Yuffie muttered under her breath.

"I'll see you guys later," Tifa waved, walking past the two friends.

"Did you say goodbye to tha kids?" Barret asked.

"Yup, I told them this morning before they left for school."

"And Cloud?"

The barmaid stopped.

"Don't tell me he dunno?" Barret placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wha' happened with you two?"

 _Don't._

"We're fine, Barret," she turned around and forced a smile, squeezing the man's hand. "I'll be going now. Take care, okay? Bye!"

With that, Yuffie and Barret watched silently as the long black hair disappear behind the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Makes me happy writing again. Sorry about the slow updates, life's been busy. Hope you enjoy this second chapter.

* * *

 **Burning Close**

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

"Hey, hey, _hey_ , aren't you that busty barmaid from Edge?"

Tifa glanced up from the bar counter and saw two men grinning from ear to ear. One with brown curly hair, and the other with black spiky hair that was particularly reminiscent of someone. The familiar blue glow in their eyes immediately caught her attention. _Ex-SOLDIERS._ She smirked, hating the thought.

"What would you like?" she asked, averting her gaze.

"What are you doing here?" the one with the curly hair said, settling down onto his seat. "Weren't you the owner of Seventh Heaven out at Edge?"

"Yeah." The black-haired man rested his chin on one hand, blue-indigo eyes piercing through the ruby ones as if reading her mind. "What's a pretty lady like you doing in such a rundown place?"

Tifa gave a cold sweet smile and replied quietly, "it's really none of your business, boys." Her eyes glared daggers at the spiky-head. "So, _what would you like to order?_ "

The brown-haired man whistled, while the other man laughed heartily. "Looks like we got a little spicy one here."

Sudden fire-flaming anger boiled through the barmaid's veins. She had just arrived at Johnny's Heaven here at the Sector 6 Wall Market a few hours ago, just checked-in and unpacked her things at the inn across from Johnny's home on the outskirts of Sector 6, was extremely agitated that a certain blonde totally did _not_ acknowledge her leaving ( _not even a damn call!_ ), and was forced to endure a long, _heart-digging_ interrogation from Mona, Johnny's wife ( _"What happened with you and Cloud? Did you two break up?" she asked for the umpteenth time_ ). Her patience was running low. _Extremely_ low. How was she to explain that the two of them didn't "break up" because they were never ever "officially together"? ( _"What? After sooo many years of living together? No way!"_ ) Tifa groaned inwardly.

"Look, just order, drink, and get the—" she started, but caught Johnny's raised eyebrows near the back of the bar. His hands hovered above a box of empty bottles, a questioning look on his face. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to wiping glasses.

 _Relax, Tifa. Relax._

"I'm Zack," the spiky-head grinned. "Zack Fair. And he's Kunsel."

"He's the infamous womanizer of Midgar," the man named Kunsel teased.

"Hey, c'mon, that's not true," Zack frowned, then quickly grinned. "I'm the womanizer of the _world!_ "

The two men guffawed stupidly, all the while the barmaid ignored their idiocy, impatience fuming.

"So…what's your name?" Zack asked.

"Tifa."

" _Tee-fa_ …" The name rolled on his tongue as if savoring the taste. "Nice name."

Rolling her eyes, Tifa crossed her arms and gave him a look. "Are you gonna order or not?"

"Sure," Zack beamed, "gimme somethin' hard!"

For some strange reason, the remark brought a smile to the barmaid's face. But she quickly frowned, realizing her own smile and hid her face behind black silky hair.

The spiky-head grinned cockily. "Glad I made you smile."

Being a Wednesday night, Johnny quickly left the bar to Tifa, thanking her furiously all the while. ( _"Gahh Mona's gonna kill me for being late…"_ ) The patrons left soon after several drinks. All except the ex-SOLDIER with the black spikes. Bidding farewell to his friend, Zack turned toward the well endowed barmaid in front of him, who was busily (and purposely) avoiding his blue gaze.

"Could I have 'nother one of this please, _Tee-fa_?" He raised an empty glass.

The barmaid pursed her lips tightly, but went ahead and poured the man another glass of Corel wine.

Propping his chin on his hands, Zack glanced up and down at the woman. "Why such a sad face, babe?"

Tifa rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might fall out of her skull. Still, she replied sweetly. "'Cause it's nearly midnight and a customer is still here drinking on a weekday night, but I can't close the bar yet 'cause said customer won't leave the poor _babe_ alone. And," she tried hard not to glare, "she's just really damn tired after a really long, ass day."

The lone customer chuckled into his glass of alcohol. "Dear, dear, so you're sayin' _I'm_ in the way?"

"I can't really say that to a customer, can I, dear _customer_?" Tifa smirked.

"Well," Zack crossed his arms across his broad chest, thinking. "How about this? I'll let you close off the bar early tonight, but…" His eyes flashed. "You gotta go on a date with me."

 _What in the world…?_ Tifa clenched her fists. "I'm sorry, I'd rather not."

She stepped away toward the other side of the counter, wiping the wooden bar irritably until the surface was squeaking clean. Famous for her beauty, the barmaid was all too familiar with patrons hitting on her with terrible pick-up lines. Her normal response was to joke back, but decline nicely. But there was something about this ex-SOLDIER that intrigued her, yet disgusted her all at once…The black spikes, the blue glowing eyes, the well-built figure, the x-shaped scar on his cheek… She must admit, he was rather handsome. Tifa wanted to punch herself.

"Well, why not?" Zack asked, cheeks red from the alcohol. "It'll be fun."

"I don't date strangers."

"So if I get to know you better, you'll go out with me?"

Tifa smirked, knowing fairly well that players like him would never have the commitment to "get to know" a girl better. All they wanted was a quick shag and dump her like trash.

"You can try," she rolled her eyes again.

"All righty," Zack grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow night! This I promise."

With that, he left the bar, leaving an extra 1000 gils.

Doubting the man would keep his promise, Tifa locked the doors. _At least he gives good tips._

* * *

To Tifa's surprise, Zack Fair came back the next night. And the night after that. And the many nights after that very first Wednesday night. Every night, he would ask the barmaid a personal question and he'd share a fact about himself in return.

"What's your last name?" he asked on the second night.

"So, what's your favorite color?"

"I love good ol' burgers…what's your most favorite food?"

"Since you make so many drinks, which one's your favorite?"

"When's your birthday?"

"So…are you single?"

"What was your dream when you were a kid?" he asked on the tenth night.

Tifa stopped wiping the glass in her hands. "My…dream?"

"Yeah, you know, a childhood dream," he smiled. "Mine was to become a Shinra First Class SOLDIER." He flexed his muscles, grinning wide. "Mine came true obviously. But with Shinra gone now—well, I've quitted way before all that but I've…anyway," he shook his head, frowning slightly. "That's for next time…What 'bout you?"

"I…" Tifa paused.

Shinra First Class SOLDIER. The same dream as him. Why did all the boys wanted to be in SOLDIER? Of course, with the fall of Shinra and knowing now that it was a corrupted corporation trying to destroy the planet, many young boys' dreams were broken. _Broken…just like him._ Him, a man whom she had spent the last 4 years desperately clinging onto, yet always falling back. What was all that for? Not once had this man contacted her since her leaving. Zero phone calls, zero text, nothing, nada. The others had called her everyday updating themselves, but none of them dared talk to her about _him._

"Tifa?"

When did her life started revolving around _him_? What about herself? What _was_ her dream? Her dream…as a young girl, was to be like her Mother, become a housewife and have a happy family. But after her mother's passing, she wanted nothing of that dream, realizing girls didn't need the protection of others. Yet, when a certain blonde promised to be her hero, she left her dream fall into his hands…

"Gaia to Tifa?" Zack waved a hand in front of her.

Tifa blinked. " _To become a martial artist._ "

Zack grinned. "Wow, really? So, you can kick butt?"

"Of course," the barmaid crossed her arms. "So you better watch out!"

"I'd let you kick my butt any time," Zack winked. "Or do anything with my butt."

"Bar's closing!" Tifa pushed the man out and locked the doors.

On the fourteenth night, a quiet Wednesday night, the ex-SOLDIER returned yet again.

"Same ol' please," Zack smiled.

Tifa had a huge urge of asking why the man was so _free_. _Doesn't he need to work?_ She pursed her lips as she poured Corel wine into a glass.

"You look like you wanna ask me something?" the man asked, indigo eyes glowing mischievously.

"Nope, not at all."

Zack grinned. Taking a sip, his smile slowly faded. "Well, I'll tell you somethin'," his eyes glazed. "I don't remember anything from my past."

Immediately, Tifa glanced up from her cleaning, curiosity growing in her. But she bit her tongue, unwilling to give in to the man.

"Aren't you gonna ask me why?" the ex-SOLDIER teased.

"You're gonna tell me anyway," Tifa turned away. "Your mouth's too big."

The man laughed.

Finally, on the seventeenth night, the confidant man asked her out again.

"So, I've known you for 17 nights," Zack smiled, counting his fingers. "Miss _Tee-fa_ Lockhart, whose birthday is on May 3rd, blood type is B, favorite color is black, favorite food is carbonara, became a successful martial artist and has an ultimate weapon named Premium Heart, has super duper long legs, prefers to keep her hair long—" (Tifa was getting incredibly dizzy with all the commotion going on in the bar…), "—and most importantly, _single_ , will you go out with me?"

It was Saturday. Happy patrons filled up Johnny's Heaven in every inch, clanking glasses of beer and spilling some more. Chatter and laughter rang in Tifa's ears. She was busy as _hell_.

"Seriously, _Mr. Fair_ ," she huffed, "I'm rather busy here!"

"I'll wait," the man winked in that cocky manner, raising his glass of Corel wine.

 _Seriously, why's he still bothering me?_ Tifa poured some whiskey into a glass irritably, accidentally spilling some. _Normal men would just go away when I've ignored their advances._ She glanced at the indigo eyes, which never left her. _What's wrong with him?_

 _Or rather, what's wrong with_ me _?_ While it was true men frequently asked her out, no men had ever chased her like this by coming to the bar every single night. It was unsettling and intriguing. _Don't be stupid, Tifa. Just because he's kept his promise on coming every night doesn't necessarily mean he's serious. That's right. All players are the same. Just like all ex-SOLDIERS aren't trustworthy._

Busy filling patron's beer glasses around the bar, Tifa successfully ignored the raven-haired man for the entire night, yet couldn't help but feel his piercing gaze watching her every move. It was uncomfortable to say the least. Yet she wanted to punch herself when slight disappointment fell upon her when she noticed the empty bar chair at half past twelve. She blinked several times and unconsciously, started scanning the crowded bar for a certain man with black spikes.

" _Yo_ ," hot breath trickled down her neck giving her shivers, " _lookin' for me?_ "

Swiftly, her gut reaction threw out a right punch toward the source.

"Whoa!" Zack skillfully dodged the punch, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Tifa's eyes went wide, surprised at the quick response. "You..."

The man grinned. "I'm ex-SOLDIER," he said matter-of-factly.

Something tugged in her heart. Shaking her head in defeat, the martial artist smiled softly. "All right, Mr. Fair. I'll go on a date with you."

 _What am I thinking?!_


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So sorry this update took so long. Wishing everyone an early Merry Christmas and thank you for all the comments, follows, and favorites!

* * *

Burning Close

Chapter 3

* * *

Sighing a breath of relief after an extremely tiring Saturday night, Tifa stepped down the cement stairs of the bar and was about to journey her way back to the inn, when a loud voice called out.

" _Yo!_ "

Tifa turned, unseeing.

It was pitched black in the wee hours of the night with thick clouds hiding the moon. Despite being the infamous "Wall Market" of Sector 6 filled with bright lights and shops that opened till the break of dawn, the present Wall Market was nothing like the past. Johnny's Heaven was one of the few businesses that were still awake at midnight, let alone past midnight. Streetlights were turned off for conserving energy. Neon signs that decorated the area were long abandoned. In a way, Wall Market was even more unpleasant and scarier for girls now than before.

"Finally done for the night?"

Footsteps made her face to her left. A dark figure was walking toward her. She would recognize those wild spikes anywhere… except they didn't belong to who she wished to see. Her heart cringed.

"Zack?" Tifa tilted her head, surprised that the man was still here.

He was close enough now and she could see the round eyes that emitted that strange indigo—violet even—glow.

"What a night, huh?" Zack grinned. Even his teeth shone in the darkness.

"What are you still doing here?" the woman asked. "It's nearly 2 in the morning—"

"For our date of course!" His voice was excited.

"W-what? In the middle of the night? You're kidding!" Tifa exclaimed. "I really need to get some sleep—"

"Pretty please? It'll be fun, I promise." Zack was so close to her that she could smell the Corel wine still in his breath. Unconsciously, she took a step back.

"I still have to work tomorrow—"

"But not till late afternoon, right?"

 _Of course he'd know my schedule…_

She suppressed a yawn.

"Come on," he suddenly grabbed hold of Tifa's left hand, "it'll be quick. I promise."

Tifa wanted to throw him off. But her curiosity won her over.

Their steps were loud in the silence. Tifa could barely see her own hand in front of her. _How could he-? Oh right, his Mako senses of course._

The man walked swiftly in long strides, a destination determined in his pace.

"Zack?" Tifa was uncomfortable walking in the dark. Trying hard not to step onto the man's heels, she stumbled in her own footsteps. "W-where are we going?"

"We're nearly there," the voice in front of her replied.

A minute later, he stopped abruptly. The barmaid nearly collided onto his broad back.

"Here we are."

Bright white light suddenly shone in front of Tifa's eyes. She squinted, quickly realizing the light was from Zack's cellphone. The light moved upwards, and she watched as the man climbed expertly on top of a worn down round surface. Glancing around the shadows, she took in her surrounding. A metal slide protruded from the Moogle head that Zack was now sitting on; broken swings hung still in the dark; further ahead, the broken remains of the Sector 7 gate lurked in the darkness…Tifa looked away hastily, hoping to erase the heart wrenching images penetrating her mind.

"Come on up!" Zack's hand appeared in front of her.

Frowning slightly, Tifa grabbed the hand and skillfully jumped onto the smooth surface. Settling herself beside the man, she hugged her knees close to her body, their backs facing the glooming debris of her bitter past.

At once, the flashlight from Zack's cellphone disappeared. Blackness engulfed them again. Tifa hugged herself closer, slightly shivering in the early hours of the night.

"So," the voice beside her spoke, ( _when did his voice become so deep and so…calm?_ ) "how was your day?"

The barmaid shifted, finger picking unconsciously at a spot on her shorts. "Like any normal bar day on a typical Saturday night."

She felt the man grin in the dark. For some strange unknown reason, she didn't dare turn her head to his direction. She could tell the blue-indigo eyes were focused on her, clearly reading her nervous expression, which only made her even more nervous, with her finger picking at the spot on her shorts—

"Quit doin' that, will you?"

Swift fingers clutched onto delicate fingers.

Her breath hitched.

"That's better…" Calloused hand tightened the grip. "It annoys my ears."

Sensing Tifa's questioning eyebrows, Zack added, "my enhanced senses are more alert in pitch dark. So your scratching is kinda annoying, especially when everything is so still and quiet. You know what I mean?"

She knew. She knew how the darkness and the silence work with Mako. _It was the same for him…_

… _Fingers intertwined. Rough hands on soft skin. Warm breath tickled her neck as he whispered, "I could hear your heartbeats. They're so loud in my ears."_

 _His voice nearly made her heart stop. His face was so close, but she couldn't even see his beautiful blue eyes. It was dark all over. No moon, no light. No sounds of the nature. Only his breathing and her own heartbeats in their ears…_

"Tifa?" He squeezed her hand.

Tifa blinked, unaware of her wandering mind. "Um, sorry," she stammered, heart suddenly beating fast. "I guess I dozed off…"

Zack whistled. "Was my story really that boring?"

At that, the barmaid turned to the man. "Story? Sorry, I—"

He chuckled. "I'm just kidding! I haven't started yet."

Feeling the violet eyes on her again, Tifa's face blushed furiously, heart pounding.

"Are you ok?" His voice was suddenly filled with concern. "You look flushed!" He squeezed Tifa's hand again. "And you're really hot." His hand let go and rested on Tifa's forehead. "Do you have a fever or somethin'?"

 _Ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump—_

"I'm fine!" Tifa waved her hands frantically, shaking off Zack's hands. _Sooner or later he's going to ask why my heart's beating so fast!_ "So what were you saying? Your story?"

"Oh right, my story." The ex-SOLDIER paused. "Well, there's not much to it because I lose all memories."

"But how?" (Her heart was still hammering).

"It's a long story…" Zack sighed.

"So, you're not gonna tell me?" Tifa smirked.

"I'll tell you… _if you go on a second date with me_ ," he grinned.

The barmaid rolled her eyes. "Really?"

"Come on, Tifa," the man nudged her playfully. "I could do better than this. A night under the black night sky?" He motioned to the heavens. "With no stars? Gimme a second chance to do better."

Her curiosity got the better of her. "Oh all right."

"Woot!" Zack jumped and did a fist pump.

"Now please start your story," Tifa muttered, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision.

"Well to be honest," he started, "I don't know how I lose my memories."

Tifa pinched his arm. "You playing me?"

"Wow you're pretty strong—" he felt ruby eyes glaring daggers at him. "Okay, okay." He took a deep breath. "So one day, I woke up and found myself in a bed. I had wounds all over, my head was pounding with pain…"

… _Bright…lights…_

Hey _…_

 _Soft…_

It's time _…_

 _Voice…_

 _Where am I? I sat up. Or tried to, as my arms were sore as hell. I glanced around the room. It was dark and musty. I looked down and saw bloody bandages wrapped around my torso. My head pounded with sharp pain like a hammer's been hitting my head nonstop for the past several days. I threw the dirty blanket off myself and got off bed. Or attempted to, because the next thing I knew, I fell onto the wooden floor, legs weak and numb. Pain like I've never felt spilled through every nerve. What the fuck did I do to get myself such injuries?_

 _I hear footsteps coming my way. I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't move. I pushed myself up with my arms, but they were so goddamn sore! I clenched my teeth, groaning in pain as my arms trembled—_

" _Zack?"_

 _A man scurried next to me and dragged me off the floor and back to the bed._

 _I grimaced, hands reaching my head. It was like someone was crushing my brain._

" _Does it hurt? Where does it hurt?"_

" _Who are you?" I gritted my teeth._

"…"

" _Who are you?" I bellowed. I could barely open my eyes. Fuck, the pain was unbearable!_

" _I'm…I'm Kunsel."_

 _Kunsel?_

" _Don't you remember me?"_

 _Kunsel…who?_

" _We were…in SOLDIER together…"_

 _S…SOLDIER?_

" _You were in First Class…One of the very best."_

 _Wait…what?_

" _But one day, you disappeared while on a mission. We all thought you were dead…"_

 _Who…?_

" _You're… Zack. Zack Fair."_

…

"Kunsel said he found me on the outskirts of Midgar. Dead. Or nearly dead," Zack muttered. "He was convinced Shinra was behind this. That maybe I found out about some corporate secrets so they wanted to get rid of me."

Tifa bit her lips. "You didn't try to find out what happened?"

"I did for a while…" Zack sighed. "It was only then that I learned about our planet's crisis—meteor and geostigma and all that fun stuff." He paused. "I was in a coma for more than a year," he gave a bitter laugh, "I had no idea of the sufferings, the fights that people have gone through. I missed all the grand fun. Tsk. So I thought, to hell with it, the heavens must have wanted to save me one more time, preventing me from all these shit. And I guess…I just kinda went along with it."

 _Meteor and geostigma…_ Tifa shook away the memories to the depths of her mind.

"Maybe it's for the better," she said softly.

Zack glanced at her curiously. "How so?"

"Those were…very painful days," Tifa murmured.

… _This day will never come again, so let me have this moment…_

"Days when you wonder if tomorrow is your last day…"

… _They're all gone. Died for the planet. Will they... will they ever forgive me?…_

"Days when love ones are gone one by one…"

… _The universe... people... the planet... How wide and big... No matter where I go and what I do, it won't change a thing…_

"Days when you start doubting yourself, whether all the fighting was worth it…"

… _As long as I'm with you... As long as you're by my side... I won't give up even if I'm scared…_

"Days when you wonder if…you're really just all alone in this world…"

All of a sudden, intangible shocks flared up inside her. She clutched at her heart, desperately pushing down the bubble bound to burst any moment, the little quivering locket that had been hidden deep inside her, full of emotions, full of memories, full of pain. She suppressed a gasp, lips pursed, but trembling.

At once, a heavy hand patted her head softly, and gently brushed through the black, silky threads. _Up, down, up, down…_

"There, there…" Zack whispered. "You must have gone through so much…"

Tifa hid her face in her knees. Her heart felt heavy, like bricks were in it, but she had no strength to move them.

"Everyone has a painful past…and that's okay…"

 _Up, down, up, down…_

The continuation of his fingers brushing through her hair, the continuation of his gentle, soothing voice…

"Tifa, it's okay to cry…"

And so she did.

* * *

AN: Can anyone make a wild guess who "woke" Zack up?


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hi everyone! I've posted a _poll_ up in my profile, asking you to _choose who Tifa should end up with in this story_. Please go and _vote for your favorite man_! :)

Thank you for the reviews and follows. Enjoy this long, long chapter!

* * *

 **Burning Close**

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

The loud, echoing footsteps stopped in the silent night.

"Thank you…for the date," Tifa smiled softly, knowing the man could see her face in the dark.

With the dimmed lights seeping through the curtains of the inn, she saw the man scratch his head. Like a certain someone.

"Naw, it was nothin'," Zack muttered. "But um," he cleared his throat, "I promise it'll be a better one next time."

"Well, good night," the woman replied, slightly embarrassed.

She was about to enter the inn when the man grabbed her wrist. Not too tight, but enough to send a chill down her spine that was not from the spring night.

"Wait."

Puzzled, Tifa turned to face him. "Hmm?"

"You forgot something."

Before she knew it, his firm lips landed on hers.

 _Ba-bump._

"A goodbye kiss," he whispered, experienced fingers tucking a strand of silky hair behind the woman's ear. "Good night, Tifa."

Listening to the footsteps grow softer and softer until she could hear no more, Tifa's body stood frozen in the dark, her cheeks burning hot from the warmth stinging sharply on her lips.

* * *

Hot shower, comfy bed.

Warm milk, comfy bed.

Fluffy pillows, comfy bed.

4:46AM.

Tossing and turning, Tifa Lockhart could not sleep. No matter how many yellow chocobos she counted, no matter how many times she hypnotized herself to sleep, no matter how many times she fluffed her pillows, all her mind could think of was: Zack Fair.

 _What in the gaia is wrong with me?_ For the umpteenth time, Tifa sat up in bed and glanced at the clock on the nightstand: 4:47AM.

She threw her face into her hands, seriously considering using Sleep on herself.

There was _something_ about Zack Fair that intrigued to her, something that heightened her curiosity, something that forced her to continue down the unknown path. Yet, she couldn't quite put her finger on _what_ it was of Zack that interested her. Surely it wasn't just his looks (though she must admit for the _tenth time_ that night that he was quite good looking and charming). Was it his persistence? Or his charisma?

Tifa scoffed. _Well, he's definitely more charismatic than Clou—_

She stopped.

This was it. The resemblance to _him_. To _Cloud_.

She wanted to punch herself. After all this time, had she still been looking for the same man unconsciously?

But no, they were different. They looked similar, what with the wild, spiky hair and beautiful blue eyes, but their personalities were different. Zack was outgoing and optimistic, while Cloud was reserved and quiet and shy and… _Cloud_.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Something about Zack made her loosened up and actually let her tears fall tonight. The way his soft touches, his soothing voice, his warm aura comforted her… Rarely would Tifa cry in front of someone. The only man she had ever cried in front of was…

 _Cloud._

 _Why do I still miss him so much?_

Tifa gritted her teeth. After being away for two and a half weeks, the man had not found her once. No phone call, no text, not even a message via a friend. Did he not miss her? Did he not think of her? Did he not care about her?

Flopping down on the bed again, her mind wandered back to the raven-headed man. Her fingers trailed along her lips, a burning sensation still lingering.

What was it with Zack? He was a First Class SOLDIER. Surely he must have been with Shinra around the same time as Cloud and Sephiroth? Was it possible they knew each other—?

She shook her head, not believing. No, that wasn't possible, right? SOLDIER was huge, wasn't it? But then again, not much people were able to make it to First Class ( _not even Cloud_ )…

Zack and his mysterious past… She wanted to know him.

* * *

"Tifa, what happened to you?"

The dark-haired barmaid glanced up from her plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Huh?"

"Look at you," Mona's green eyes stared into the ruby ones. "You look absolutely _terrible._ Even worse than me! Is the bar too busy? Do you need help? Are the customers giving you a hard time? Oi, _Johnnaaay!_ "

" _Yessss, babe?_ " Johnny's voice called out from the living room next door.

" _What did you do to Tifa?_ " Mona bellowed, temper rising.

"W-what?" The red-head scurried into the dining room, holding his baby son, Teddy, in one hand, and a milk bottle in the other. Eyes frantic, he stammered anxiously, "w-what ya talking about?"

His wife crossed her arms across her heaving chest and glared flying daggers at her husband.

"Well, just look at Tifa!" she exclaimed dramatically, curly brown hair flying loose from her bun. "She's all worn out! What did you do? Are you dumping all the work on her? I can't _believe_ it—"

"No—" Johnny raised his hands up in defense and nearly dropped baby Teddy and the milk bottle—

 _SPLAT._

The bottle splattered all over the floor, milk flying everywhere. At once, Mona opened her mouth, ready to scold her husband—

"No-no-no Mona," Tifa reached over to the hot-tempered woman fuming across from her. "I'm fine! I really am!" She motioned to Johnny, who was already down on all fours, wiping the floor with one hand, and his son draped over his other shoulder. "Johnny's been a great help to me. _Really_ ," she added quickly when green suspicious eyes met hers.

"Hmph," Mona pursed her lips. "Tifa, why don't you take the day off today."

"No, Mona, I'm fine—" the barmaid started.

"I insist," the woman stated authoritatively.

She turned to her husband. "Johnny, wash the dishes before you open the bar. I need to feed Teddy now since you just wasted a bottle _again_."

Taking Teddy in her arms, Mona started toward the hallway. Tifa and Johnny glanced at each other in silence as they hear the door to her bedroom slam shut. Immediately, the barmaid grabbed a towel and started helping the red-head with the mess.

"I dunno what to do with her," Johnny murmured.

"You need to take her to a doctor," Tifa replied sternly. "Has she still been crying at night?"

"Not just at night," the man sighed. "Sometimes in the early mornin'. Sometimes in the middle of the night. I suppose probably durin' the day too."

He reached for the dirty towels from the barmaid and proceeded to rinse them in the kitchen sink. The typical goofy, happy face that plastered on Johnny's face was long gone ever since his son was born. With Mona's severe mood swings and crying episodes (which they highly suspected was postpartum depression), the challenge of raising a child was straining the young parents' relationship. It wasn't anyone's fault, but it broke Tifa's heart seeing her friends torn like this.

"Would you like me to take her to the doctor?" she asked, concern in her voice.

Shaking his unkempt head, Johnny smiled softly. "Tifa, you've helped us a lot already. I'll talk to her later and see how she reacts."

"Let me know how I can help."

The red-head grinned, shaking his head some more. "Seriously Tifa, I can't thank you enough…" He glanced at her, expression anxious. "What 'bout you, Tifa? How are you? Is everythin' okay?" He opened his mouth but closed them again, unsure if he should ask about a particular man.

Although an obvious lack of sleep etched on the barmaid's face, Tifa gave a bright, cheerful smile. "Of course! I'm fine."

 _Of course I'm fine. I'm always fine._

* * *

Despite her mighty effort to reassure Johnny that she was fine and could manage the bar, Johnny still forced Tifa to take the day off.

She despised not working. Working at the bar kept her busy. Busy meant no time could be spent on thinking about useless things, such as a certain someone. And so, not working meant she had all the time she wanted to think about useless things, _including_ a certain someone.

"I can't keep him off my mind," Tifa muttered to herself.

She paced around in her tiny motel room, back and forth, back and forth. The sun shone brightly through the cottage windows. Bright green leaves fluttered in the soft spring wind. Birds sang a carefree melody that did _not_ match Tifa's impatient pacing.

"Ohhh what am I _doing_?" She wanted to pull her hair.

Stomping toward the wooden door, she reached for the knob and swung it open. At once, she collided into a tall figure.

"Whoa—" _such a calm voice_ , "you okay, Tifa?"

" _Zack?_ " The barmaid's widened eyes were about to fall off. "W-why-what are you doing here?"

"To find you of course!"

His grin was as big and bright as the sun. His black spikes were styled smartly, yet messily, yet tidily. His violet-blue eyes were sparkling with glee at the sight of the woman. His scent was fresh, like fresh mountain breeze and pines. His muscular body was dressed nicely in a white teeshirt that highlighted his biceps and broad shoulders. He was the epitome of the summer sun.

Tifa blinked and shook her thoughts away. Clearing her throat and keeping her composure, she raised an eyebrow. "But how'd you know my room number?"

"Well," Zack's indigo eyes glanced away abruptly, avoiding Tifa's questioning gaze, "I was just, ya know, chatting with Pam downstairs—"

"Who's Pam?" the woman asked.

"Pam—Pamela—the part-time downstairs…The daughter of the owner…"

"Oh," Tifa crossed her arms matter-of-factly, "so you flirted your way into finding out which room I'm in?"

Zack scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "Guess you could say that."

 _There's a reason why he was in SOLDIER._

An awkward—almost embarrassing—silence followed. Unconsciously, Tifa started picking at the side of her ripped jeans.

"So where are you headed?" Zack asked.

"Oh, um," _where was I headed?_ "J-just to, um, the store." Her hands were flying everywhere, pointing in this direction and that direction.

"Oh, the grocery store in Wall Market?" The man motioned somewhere to the right.

"Y-yeah, that store," Tifa nodded, eyes not dared to meet the violet-blues, cheeks burning.

Zack laughed. "Why do you look so nervous all of a sudden?" he teased. "C'mon, I'll take you there."

Without further ado, the spiky-headed man led the way out of the inn (not forgetting to bid goodbye to _Pamela_ , who batted her long eyelashes wildly) and started toward the main road to Wall Market. The hustle and bustle that Wall Market was previously famous for had died down tremendously, with most businesses moving outward to Edge. Every street was occupied by abandoned shops with broken, dusty windows. What remained in Wall Market was really a single crossroad with three diners, a shady pub, Johnny's bar, an equipment shop, a nearly empty pharmacy, and Midgar's last standing grocery store and fruit stall.

"It's a shame, isn't it?" Zack asked.

The barmaid gave a questioning look.

Pointing at their surroundings, Zack glanced around, where crooked banners and rusted light boxes hung on deserted buildings.

"What was once the great city of Midgar has now come to this. A city of rust and debris."

 _A city of rust and debris._ Yes. Ruby eyes gazed toward the shadows that lurked far ahead. She could still see the great darkness and smell the flaming ashes of the nearly forgotten Sector 7. Her chest tightened. After 4 years, the suffocating past was still burning intensely in her heart.

"Tifa?" There was concern in Zack's voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just…"

"Thinking about something from your past?" he finished.

Tifa glanced up, surprised. "I…yeah."

The man smiled softly and crossed his arms. "Ya know, perhaps me having no memories of my past is a good thing after all."

"Why's that?" She perked an eyebrow.

"At least I wouldn't be frowning whenever I think about my past."

Tifa shrugged. "Perhaps…"

"I mean, if the past brings you such sorrow, why think about it, right?"

Grinning, Zack flicked his fingers on Tifa's forehead playfully.

"Ow!" She rubbed her head irritably. "What'd you do that for?"

He leaned down, face an inch away from hers, and whispered, "to flick all your painful memories away."

Tifa blushed and whipped her head away.

"I-I'm going that way!" she said loudly and stomped toward the grocery store. A chuckle could be heard trailing behind her.

 _Damnit! if he keeps putting his face so close to mine, I'm gonna—what? I'm gonna what? Punch him? Kick him? Kiss him—? What in the gaia are you thinking, Tifa Lockhart?!_

She took a deep breath, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.

Soft bells twinkled dully overhead as Tifa pushed the dirty glass doors open. To be honest, she didn't know why she was here, because there was practically nothing left to buy. Empty shelves stretched from one end of the store to the other. Occasionally a dusty can of sweetened fruits and sausages sat here and there. At the back, yellowed tissue rolls, several bars of soap, a bottle of cleaning detergent, and several packs of toothpaste sat on a rickety rack. The lights and freezers were turned off to conserve energy. A ceiling fan at the center of the store swung idly in the quiet, still air.

It made her sad, taking in the sight. Tifa glanced toward the cashier, where the old, bitter owner dozed, not knowing two customers had just entered the shop.

" _Ahoy!_ "

The old man jumped (and so did Tifa) from his seat, bloodshot eyes flipped wide open. The sudden loud voice shook the lifeless atmosphere, sending echoes in the empty store.

"Why you little retard—you—what's with the commotion—you fu—" Pointing a bony finger at Zack, the owner started toward them, swear words flying out of his mouth.

Instinctively, Tifa took a step forward and was about to apologize but Zack pulled her aside, broad body shielding her from the old man.

"Yo pops," Zack said, "you still got that bottle of old wine in your basement?"

"Wha—" the old man stopped. He widened his brown eyes even more, as if finally seeing the two figures. "Ah fuck, it's you. I thought it's some, some, some _thief_ or somethin'," he wheezed. "Whaddya want?"

"The. Old. _WINE_ ," Zack said loudly into the man's ear, "from your BASE-MENT."

"OKAY I CAN HEAR YOU," the old man scowled. He glared at Zack. "How much ya payin' this time?"

"Same as last time—"

"Nah-ah that ain't 'nuff for me to move to Edge!" The man frowned, white bushy eyebrows furrowed. "Gimme the triple of that and I'll give ya that last bottle!"

Tifa glanced anxiously up at Zack. What was special about this old wine?

"Oh all right, you old geezer."

A few minute later, the two stepped out of the grocery, with Zack carrying a large bottle on his shoulders. It was nearly the size of a small child.

"Are you serious?" Tifa exclaimed, pointing at the wine. "That wine costs nearly five grands? What kind of wine is it? Is it worth it?"

Zack grinned. "Chill, Tifa! This is gonna make me lots of money."

"Oh really?" The barmaid rolled her eyes.

"Uh, do you mind if I drop this off first?"

"Where?"

"My home."

For the second time, her curiosity won her over. Tifa followed the man. A man she had just met for two and a half weeks. Walking behind him, she glanced at the tall figure. His broad shoulders, his muscular arms, his strong neck, his chiseled jaw, his black spikes. He was interesting and mysterious in so many ways. Like her, he had a painful, terrible past. And although he lost all memories of it, he chose not to seek the past. Instead, he accepted fate; he accepted the present and accepted the future. With open arms.

They walked in silence for about fifteen minutes, hiking past crude, rusty buildings and rubbles. Their footsteps made their way from the quiet Sector 6 to the even quieter Sector 5. Up in the distance, she could see the all too familiar architecture that brought peace to men, women, and children. Peace that Tifa herself could not bring to Cloud. Her heart cringed.

Zack stopped and faced her. He tilted his head to the left, indicating a small hut.

"This is it," he grinned sheepishly. "It's crappy on the outside, but comfy on the inside."

He scrambled for his keys and opened the door. It was rather dark, with the window blinds shut closed. The wooden floor creaked softly as Tifa stepped inside. The house smelled strongly of wood that was nostalgic and soothing at the same time. The lights overhead flickered on, revealing a wooden table and a welcoming, bean bag lounge.

"Have a seat." Zack placed the heavy bottle onto the table. He wiped sweat from his forehead and motioned around his home. "It's not much," he shrugged and smiled, "but it's comfy enough, don't you think?"

The barmaid settled herself onto the bean bag lounge (which was exceptionally comfortable) and took in her surrounding. A wooden cabinet, a wooden shelf, a wooden chair, a wooden stool…Most of the wooden furniture appeared to be handcrafted. Although a bit small, the wooden hut really was rather comfortable. It was almost like a warm campfire burning cozily in the middle of no where. Glancing at the far end of the room, she noticed a wooden staircase.

"That's where my bed is," Zack winked. "You wanna see?"

Tifa rolled her eyes, but felt her face burning surprisingly hot. "You think too much."

The man chuckled and handed a small cup to her. "Tea?"

"Thank you."

She felt the bean bag lounge sunk lower as Zack sat himself beside her. Not too close, but close enough to feel his warmth. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"So, um, what's with all the wooden furniture?" she asked, ruby eyes darting away.

"I made them," the ex-SOLDIER replied. "I feel very at ease surrounded by wood. Like…I'm almost home."

Tifa gave a puzzled expression. "This _is_ your home, isn't it?"

"It is," he leaned back, arms folding behind his head. Violet-blue eyes gazed up at the wooden ceiling, a million of blurred images flying in his mind. "But a part of me is still missing. Until I find it, this isn't home yet."

"So why are't you searching for it? Your memories?"

"Like I said before, I did for a while," Zack sighed and sat up, eyes gazing intently at Tifa's. "But for now, I'm quite comfortable with who I am. I'd like to live for the present and future, and not for the past, ya know? If I'm supposed to learn about my past, fate will lead me there somehow, whether I want to or not. Right?"

"Hmm…"

Memories. Her head, her heart were filled with memories. Memories she had locked deep within her. Memories of loss, memories of love, memories of pain, memories of joy… She shook away her thoughts bitterly.

"But I'm pretty sure I was born a country boy," Zack grinned and waved at the wooden surrounding. "Thus, all the wood."

Tifa smiled softly. "I'm a country girl too."

"Were you? Really?"

"You sound surprised. Do I not look like it?" she teased.

"Well, considering the way you dress—" (Tifa gave a playful punch), "Kidding! I never thought a country girl would learn martial arts, that's all. I thought all country girls stayed home and took care of the kids."

"That's what _normal_ country girls usually do," Tifa rolled her eyes. "That was my dream for a while until—"

She stopped. _Until my mother died._

"Tifa?" Zack placed a hand on her shoulder, concerned. "You okay?"

"…I…"

Endless emotions rushed through her veins. She gripped her jeans tightly, trying desperately to push them away—

" _I'm sorry._ "

In a second, strong arms wrapped tightly around the fragile body. Tifa froze at the hasty contact, but quickly found herself leaning into the warm body of Zack Fair. His scent, his heartbeat, his warmth. So tempting. The skin on skin contact she yearned for so long was so foreign, yet so welcoming. He was here, physically here. She found herself leaning into him even more.

She was cold. Cold like bitter ice.

But he was warm. Warm like the summer sun, warm like the flames of a fireplace. Warm like somebody.

"Tifa…"

Mako blue eyes met the wine-colored ones.

"Tifa…"

In a second, his lips met hers.

 _Ba-bump._

Unbeknownst to her, her lips opened at the sudden encounter.

 _What—_

Willingly. Earnestly. Impatiently.

 _Tifa—_

Tongues intertwined, tasting, exploring, seeking.

 _What are you—_

Calloused fingers tightened on the gentle shoulders, bringing the kiss deeper, and deeper, and deeper.

 _Stop—_

More. Need more.

 _You're not in love—_

Slender fingers tensed on the man's shirt, too afraid to let go.

 _You love—_

Blood boiled as rough hands met delicate skin.

 _Stop, Tifa—_

A soft moan escaped her lips, face flushed.

 _Clou—_

"Zack—" her breath hitched, " _wait_ —"

And it stopped.

Everything went still.

Deep violet eyes opened as the man stared into the ruby ones. Wanting, needing, craving. A bead of sweat trickled down the raven spikes and down his chiseled jaw. Shades of red formed on his handsome cheeks. Heartbeats jumped rapidly at an uncontrollable pace. Toned muscles were about to rip open his white teeshirt.

All the while, hungry, eager ruby eyes took in this marvelous sight. Thin fingers moved across the broad chest now heaving heavily. At once, Zack snatched them and held on tight.

"Tifa," he breathed, voice quivering slightly, "I want _you_."

And his lips ignited hers.

* * *

AN: Go vote for your favorite man in my profile now! :)


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you for all the comments and reviews/favorites. This chapter is a bit slow…but enjoy anyway :)

A reminder, please go vote for your favorite man in the poll on my profile!

* * *

Burning Close

Chapter 5

* * *

Johnny was tired. Mighty damn tired. Deep inside, he selfishly regretted asking Tifa to take the day off. His back was sore from standing all day. His ears were muffled from the noisy patrons. His head was pounding in pain from being sleep deprived. He loved his wife and baby Teddy, but boy, were they a pain! Hooded, bloodshot-eyes darted to the clock hanging above the bar entrance.

8:59PM.

His lips tugged upwards. Reaching for the bell on the bar counter, he clang it several times, loud and clear.

 _DING DING DING!_

"Bar's closing everyone!" he shouted over the chattering customers. "You know the rules!"

Several men started standing up and proceeded to exit the bar, muttering frantically under their breaths.

"Useless henpecked man—"

"Not even midnight yet—"

"Ain't how you run a business—"

But Johnny didn't care. He continued ringing the bell, ushering and waving grumbling customers away.

"Up, up you go!" the red-head called, glee in his voice. "See y'all next time!"

"Bye Johnny," a man with brown curly hair waved.

"Bye Kunsel," the bartender grinned.

He followed the man toward the swinging bar doors, giving him a pat on the back.

"What's with the happy face all of a sudden?" Kunsel asked suspiciously. "You've been looking like a dead man for the entire night."

"Aww Kunsel, Kunsel, Kunsel," Johnny shook his head, the smile still plastered on his face. "You know what day tomorrow is?"

"Monday—"

"Monday it is!" Johnny's brown eyes were wide with hysteric like a maniac. "We close on _Mondays!_ " He rocked the man by the shoulders, hoping to shake some sense into him as if he did not understand the simple math of one plus one. "I could finally get some sleep!"

Kunsel chuckled, brows slightly furrowed. "Poor man…" He shook his shaggy head and bid goodbye.

Hanging a "CLOSED" sign on the doors, Johnny quickly collected the empty beer bottles and mugs and dumped them into the sink. He wiped the tables, singing gleefully under his breath.

"It's Monday, it's Monday, it's finally _Monday_ —"

 _CLING CLING._

Frowning, Johnny quickly glanced up toward the entrance. "Sorry man, we're closin'—"

He paused, not believing his eyes.

The all too familiar black leather boots, the black leather outfit, the pale stoic face, and the wild, blonde spikes he would recognize anywhere—

" _Cloud?_ "

The blonde gave a small nod.

Odd pleasantries later, awkward silence filled the atmosphere as the two men settled at the bar counter. At the corner of his eyes, Johnny glanced at the man beside him, who was staring idly at the beer in his hands. A sudden roar of thunder erupted outside, making the barman jump in his seat. Rain like bullets started hammering down the metal roof, disrupting the air.

Swallowing a large lump, the red-head finally spoke up.

"So," he started, "how ya doing?"

Cloud gazed up, Mako-blue eyes unseeing the bartender. "…Fine."

Johnny cleared his throat and gave a weak smile. "So, uh, whacha doing here?"

"I…had a delivery," the man paused, "nearby."

"At such late hours?" Johnny peeked at the clock; it was fifteen past nine. _Mona's gonna kill me._

The delivery boy nodded, a hint of pink growing on his pale cheeks. "Yeah, this old lady—er—man—needed some mythril asap," he muttered quickly.

"Oh," the red-head took a sip from his bottle, "I thought you're here for Teef."

The blonde's cheeks grew redder. "Uh," he coughed into his beer, azure eyes staring ahead, "erm…where is she?"

"She had the day off," Johnny replied, a sly smile tugging on his face. "Poor gal, she was so burned out that I told her to take a rest."

Immediately, Cloud's body tensed up. Mako-blue eyes narrowed and glared at the man next to him.

"Why? What happened? Is she okay?"

Johnny raised his hands up in defense, sweat growing on his forehead.

"She's fine! Chill! Don't throw your sword at me just yet…" Looking nervously at the Fusion Sword beside the ex-SOLDIER, he felt the blonde's body loosen up slightly. "But honestly man, if you cared 'nuff about her, you'd know why she's so down," he muttered.

 _SQUEAKKK._

A terrible squeak of wood rubbing on wood pierced the barman's ears. The wooden chair scraped the floor roughly as the delivery man stood up all of a sudden. He drained the bottle of beer in one shot and gave the bartender a long, hard look. Johnny glanced up anxiously, wondering if this was his last day on gaia. He gulped.

"Thanks for the beer," Cloud mumbled finally.

He picked up his sword and swung it over his back (Johnny flinched as a gust of wind blew past his face) and took the few, short strides toward the doors.

"Please…help me look after her."

"W-what?"

The man turned around, aqua eyes flashing. "And don't tell her I came."

"Wha-why?"

And the blonde spikes were gone, leaving a scent of humid air.

* * *

"I hope the chili wasn't too spicy for you," Zack called over from the sink. The clinking of bowls and spoons being washed could be heard. "My lips are still burning from the hot spice!"

"No, it was fine," Tifa replied back, reveling in her satisfied tummy.

 _My lips are fine._

No, actually her lips were not fine. The soft kisses the man had left earlier in the day were still burning like fire. Tentatively, slender fingers traced the trail of blazing warmth along her lips.

 _How is it that his touch is still lingering after so long?_

Ruby eyes darted gingerly toward the man. The broad shoulders, the strong biceps, the long black spikes, the chiseled jaw, the muscular chest… She almost succumbed to this man. Was she moving too fast? Were _they_ moving too fast? While all they did was share a kiss, she was quite certain that she would succumb to him if she didn't leave any time soon. Not that she would regret it. Right?

Tifa glanced at the clock: 8:50PM. If she run back to the bar now, she would still make it in time to help Johnny close the bar. But did she want to?

The man had been nothing but amiable. His cheerful nature was a juxtapose to her harsh, sad persona. He shared amusing tidbits from his exploration of abandoned sectors. He made boring books about war machines sound like entertaining movies. He guffawed loudly with tears in his eyes at hopeless soap operas on tv. He was, indeed, hard to resist for someone drowned in her own gloom for the past few weeks (months even).

He didn't push her for _more_ , but it was apparent he wanted more.

The way his fingers lingered a little too long on the back of her couch, innocently toying the silky strands on her shoulders. The way his indigo eyes glowed as mysterious shadows danced behind them, as if seeing her whole. The way the heat emitted from his body burned her skin at the slightest touch, making her nerves squirm restlessly.

Not to sound like a prude, but Tifa Lockhart never was the type to sleep around. Good looking and educated patrons frequented Seventh Heaven. But none of them had ever captured her heart. All because she only had eyes for—

Yes, she missed him. In fact, she missed him very much. He was her first. Practically her first everything. And the only first. The first time they shared under the Highwind… They continued their intimate encounters briefly after meteor fall. Tifa, believing everything was fine… Yet, everything they shared dissolved as quickly as it came. The complicated and distant relationship they eventually developed… Were they "together"? Were they "official"?

The brick wall the man built was forever in her way. No matter how hard she punched, how hard she kicked, the brick wall would never fall. He was there, but not really here. Days at home felt lonelier and lonelier. She was constantly yearning for his touch. Yet, he never did fulfill her longing. Like a homeless cat desperately waiting for that one special person…who never came. It was pathetic.

Two years. She was starting to come to terms with the fact that she could never, ever erase him from her heart. And here, standing in front of her, was a man. A man with attractive qualities, a man with a heart big enough for her. But was it possible for _her_ locked heart to have extra room for another man? Was she ready to give herself a chance? Did she want to?

Oh, and the fact that he cooked. In fact, he was quite a good cook. She breathed in the spicy aroma still lingering in the air. There was something about men skilled in the art of culinary that appealed to her.

His words were sweet, actions even sweeter. But what about his heart?

Like moth to fire, she was enticed by him. But would she burn?

Her thoughts scattered as Zack stepped toward her, drying his hands with a towel. A smile flashed on his eager face.

"All done," he beamed. Settling beside Tifa, he stretched out his arms, showcasing the tight muscles of his middle core.

Unconsciously, Tifa stole a swift peek at the view and felt her cheeks flush. Quickly looking away, she glanced at the clock again: 9:05PM. Johnny would have closed the bar by now. He usually did. Tifa swallowed.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" Zack asked, an arm on the back of the couch, mere centimeters away from her.

The woman nodded, deeply aware of their close proximity and the heat burning her cheeks. "Yeah," she replied, "I really like it. Thank you for the meal. You should share me the recipe."

"It's actually something that I came up with," Zack said. "Somehow…it came very naturally. Maybe something from my childhood." A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"Do you—did you find out where you grew up?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Kunsel helped me with that." He paused as if gathering his thoughts. "I grew up in Gongaga."

"Oh?"

She remembered that village. A small village hidden deep within a dark green forest. It was one of the many places she had visited with the gang. And it was one of the most depressing places she had ever visited. Her nose wrinkled as she reminisced the scent of burnt metal and ashes, a scent she had become accustomed to, it appeared.

"He brought me there a short while after I woke up from my sleep." His eyes glazed. "It was crumbled into dust, thanks to the meteor saga."

Ruby eyes widened in shock. "You mean, because of the lifestream—?"

Zack nodded, a rare frown on his handsome face.

"And…and your family?"

"I'm an only child."

"Then…your parents?" Tifa whispered, afraid of the answer.

"Gone." The single word brought heavy silence to the room.

"I…I'm sorry." She wished a hole would swallow her up.

Zack shook his head softly, expression unreadable. A long silence stretched in the air, only to be awakened by a sudden, deafening roll of thunder.

The metal hut shook as the loud roar echoed throughout the city. Immediately, rain splattered down, filling their ears with raucous pellets.

"Oh—" the barmaid glanced at the clock: 9:10PM, "Um…I think…I better get going."

"What? When it's raining cats and dogs?" Zack asked incredulously.

"I'll be fine—"

"Nah-ah," he shook his head, "It's gonna rain for the entire night."

"How do you know?" Tifa perked an eyebrow.

"Don't you know?" He crossed his arms, smug humor returning to his eyes. "Predicting the weather was one of the first skills the military taught us."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I mean, we're always on the go so it's important to forecast the weather in case of emergencies."

"I see…"

Yes, she remembered that. Cloud was particularly adept with predicting the weather, even better than Cid some times—she shook away her thoughts.

"So," Zack's eyes blazed in the fluorescent light, "whacha wanna do now?"

Tifa swallowed a lump in her throat. "Really…it's getting late. I really think I should get going…"

"No. Stay. Please."

"Why?"

"'Cause I want you to."

His words were full of promises. His eyes were so eager, so patient. So patiently _longing_.

She couldn't move. Her mind wanted to leave, but her heart wanted to stay. Why?

"D'you wanna watch tv?" he asked.

 _You should stand up, walk over to the door, and say goodbye—_

 _Stay! You're lonely anyway—_

 _No. Go home. Now. Or else you're gonna regret it—_

 _You know nothing about Tifa's needs—_

 _Of course, I do, I'm her—_

"Okay…" Defeated, Tifa nodded softly.

 _See? I won—_

 _Don't come home crying—_

 _Shut up—_

"Other than watching tv, is there anything else you wanna do?" Zack murmured, voice low.

"That calls for multitasking," she muttered.

"Well, I'm mighty skilled in that field," the man boasted.

"Is that so?" Tifa couldn't help but grin.

"I have a tv upstairs too. More comfy. Wanna join me?" It was a question asked as casually as one would when asking what's for dinner.

 _Tread carefully, Lockhart—_

 _Oh just shut up!_

"Okay."

The word fluttered out of her lips without her thinking.

 _What in the world, Tifa Lockhart?_

Something like surprise flashed in the man's eyes, but quickly faded as a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Voice velvety soft, he held out his hand and whispered, "come."

And she placed her hand in his. From this moment onward, her heart took over. There were a hundred excuses she could have thrown at the man. But she didn't.

Maybe, this was the power of lust.

* * *

His kisses were soft and hot and skin-tingling all at the same time.

She squirmed under his firm, confident movements, exposed skin sensitive from the new, foreign touch.

His indigo eyes blazed with desire, like blue burning flames.

She suppressed her moans, lips and eyes squeezed shut, face flustered.

"Hey…" His voice was next to her ear. "Don't do that…" His tongue flickered her earlobe.

Sudden shock sent down her spine. Her eyes flew open, dark rubies dancing in her pupils.

"H-huh…?" Tifa breathed.

She found herself gazing into a deep sea of blue.

"That's better," Zack smiled.

His face was flushed from heat from the closeness, from the skin to skin contact, from the excitement burning deep within him. His chest was glistening with beads of sweat. His muscular arms were on either side of Tifa's head, supporting himself over the woman below. His desire…was more than apparent.

"What…what did you say?" she murmured.

"I said, ' _don't do that_.'"

"Don't…do what…?"

He leaned forward, lips touching hers, " _don't_ ," he kissed her, " _hide_ ," he kissed her again, " _yourself_."

His tongue slipped into her mouth the moment she gasped. She tasted of spices and chili and sweet and delicious. If she was a small prey, he would devour her like a hungry wolf. Her eyes were shut tight, thin eyebrows furrowed. He felt the woman tense under him again, and he stopped.

"Tifa…"

Her eyes opened, confused.

"You're not even breathing." Zack sat up. Crossing his arms over his naked chest, an amused expression appeared on his face. He tilted his head. "Why are you holding your breath?"

"I…I didn't." At that, Tifa clambered up and sat holding her knees up close to her chest.

"Yes you did," the man smirked. "And you're not letting me hear your moans."

"W-what?" Tifa stammered, face fuming. "I-I don't—"

"Don't hide. I mean it. Don't hide yourself. I want to taste, I want to see, I want to feel, I want to hear… _all of you_."

Her eyes darted downward to her fingers, bangs covering her face. "I…I'm not hiding…"

"Well if you're not, you should take _that_ off."

A long finger pointed toward Tifa's tank top.

She swallowed. "My shirt…?"

"Of course. You said you're not hiding, right?" Zack grinned. "It's not fair you get to see me topless, and I don't."

Tifa bit her lip nervously. Heart pounding like the roaring thunder outside, she pulled the rim of the top upwards, her bent knees still hiding her upper body slightly. Her vision was temporarily blinded by the shirt when she hastily felt strong arms wrap tightly around her. She shivered at the sudden burning heat stinging through her bare skin. Pulling her head free from her tank top, she found herself in the comfort of the man's chest.

She dared herself to look up at his face. His eyes were closed, a blush growing on his cheeks.

"Hey…?"

His eyes opened at the sound of her voice.

"You're so beautiful." And his lips found hers, whole body pushing her down. "I could…" (his lips trailed from her left ear to her lips, along her collar bone, down her slender neck, and on her upper left breast), "hear your heartbeat."

Tifa held her breath as the man rested his head directly over her heart.

"It's…so loud…and so fast."

She felt the man grin.

"By the way…you forgot something."

Quick fingers snaked behind the woman's back and unclasped her bra, sending a chill down her spine. Tugging the lingerie off, Zack greedily took in the view in front of him.

Long, silky hair. White, porcelain skin. Round, ample breasts. All the right curves. All the right softness. All the right exquisiteness. He wanted a better word, but words were not enough to describe her. She was more than beautiful.

"Tifa…" his breath hitched, "you're…really beautiful…"

"Don't." She closed her eyes and covered her chest, suddenly remembering her mark. "Don't look."

"Why?" His fingers closed around her wrists, pulling them aside. "You're too beautiful to not look."

Ruby eyes opened wide, trepidation lurking behind them. "Don't…"

And he saw why. A long, white scar—pale as snow, but still noticeable—stretched diagonally from the left side of her chest down to the right side, about five inches long. It was a mark of a fighter, a mark of a painful past.

Her heart pounded loud in her ears. She was waiting for his questions, his curious interrogation—

Zack smiled. "I see nothin'."

And his lips found hers, erasing her frown, erasing her sorrow, erasing her past.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Happy New Year everyone! This chapter is really long and sorry for the lack of drama in this chapter haha. Again, thank you so much for the reviews/favorites/follows. Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Burning Close

Chapter 6

* * *

 _Her heart pounded so loud she was afraid he would hear her heartbeats. She watched as he pulled his white shirt over his head, revealing tanned muscles and strong arms underneath. There were lines of scars here and there all over his body, but they did not take away the beauty in him. He was much more well-built and much broader than she thought. And though she was used to seeing topless men (thanks to traveling with a large group of them), seeing this particular man bare-chested was making her feverish._

 _In a few short strides, he was in front of her, lips firmly kissing her. His tongue entered her mouth without her knowing as her mind turned to powder. Arms so strong and so warm wrapped around her thin waist, fingers exploring under her shirt in no time. Gently, he pushed her onto the bed, her long black hair fanning behind her. He made sure he didn't crush her with his heavy body._

 _His tongue invaded her mouth with more intensity. This was not enough. He wanted to taste her. He needed to taste her everywhere. He wanted to pleasure her everywhere. He needed her everywhere._

… _His kisses made her dizzy. Sweat dripped down her neck. Cheeks flushed like fire. Fingernails dug hard onto his shoulders. Her mind spun. Her breath hitched. Her skin burned. In a daze, she was bare before him, and he was bare before her._

 _Pleasures grew. More. More. More. Without her knowing, her moans were loud and clear and ringing in his ears like melodies. More kisses. More feelings. So much nerve-tingling feelings. Her fingers dug harder. His movements faster. Their scent merged together—_

* * *

 _She has incredibly long eyelashes._

Zack peered over at the woman sleeping contently beside him, marveling at the beautiful, angelic face. With the morning sun shining brightly through the blinds, she really did look like an angel; the smooth, porcelain skin, the silky black threads that flowed behind her, the long, soft eyelashes, the red cherry lips that he could kiss forever and ever and ever.

Last night's images replayed in his mind.

Her light, yet firm touches on his bare skin. Her sharp nails digging on his shoulder blades. Her tongue-filled kisses on his neck's pulsing vein. Her ample breasts pressed tightly against his strong chest. Her soft moans of excitement and pleasure that were songs to his ears. Her wanton yearnings for more and more and more…

His monster awoke.

"Hmm…"

Bright ruby eyes fluttered open, slightly blinded by the radiant sun.

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty," Zack grinned, temporarily pushing his naughty thoughts away.

He leaned up by his elbow and smiled serenely down at the woman. Inching forward, he was about to kiss her forehead when Tifa gasped in surprise.

"Wait—" Her eyes went wide and gaped at the topless man beside her. Immediately, she pulled the duvet up over head, hiding her flushing face.

"Tifa?" Zack raised his hands up, trying to stifle a chuckle. "What are you doin'—"

Frantically shaking her head, Tifa kept herself hidden inside the covers as last night's events unfurled in her mind.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Now I've done it!_

Strong hands reached for the duvet-covered figure. At once, all motion stopped.

"Tifa," Zack whispered. "Look at me, Tifa. _Please?_ "

Slowly, the top half of the woman's face appeared sheepishly above the duvet. Timid, wine-colored eyes met the indigo ones.

"Don't stress about this," he started. "We—"

"No, Zack," Tifa shook her head anxiously, face flushed bright red like a tomato. "I—I'm sorry. I'm not into casual hookups or anything of that sort. I'm definitely not like those random chicks you bring home every night—"

"Whoa-whoa!" The man's eyes went wide in amusement. "Wait a mo'. Who said I bring random chicks home every night?"

"W-well," Tifa muttered embarrassingly, hiding behind her bangs, "that's what your friend said, right? That you're the womanizer of Midgar…?"

A loud chuckle let loose from Zack's lips. "Aww Tifa, you sweet gal! That's a joke!"

Leaning forward, he reached out, pulled down the duvet, and held Tifa's chin. As if reading her soul, intense blue eyes gazed into the ruby ones. The woman flinched softly at the touch, trying to avoid his gaze.

"Don't…" she whispered, eyes darting away, "don't look at me like that…"

Surprised at the response, Zack let go of the woman's chin. "Why not?"

"Every time you look at me…it's like you can read and see everything…inside my mind…"

At that, the raven-haired man sat up and crossed his muscular arms, an eyebrow perked up curiously.

"So maybe I can," he replied. "And that's what I _want_ to do."

He reached for her chin again, forcing her to look at him.

"Tifa… I want to know you…" Zack murmured. "I really want to _know_ you. I really do." He ran a hand through his black spikes. "I know I might look like a big ol' player and all that crap, but, that's not who I am. At least not now and definitely not in the future. Tsk," he shook his head softly, "I haven't been like that ever since I've woken up. Hell, I'm not even _sure_ I was like that. I mean, all Kunsel ever told me was that I was a lady's man back in the ol' days. But I bet even that's a joke…" He smirked at the thought. "Ever since I woke up from my coma, I've never felt the urge to want to get to know someone or—hell—even get close to anybody because I was afraid to lose everything again…" He gazed into the beautiful round eyes. "That is…until I met you."

His lips touched the red lips softly.

"Tifa," he whispered, "All this time, I've never felt…real. But after I met you…I feel whole."

He kissed her again, nose tip touching hers.

"You're special," he breathed, "Very, very special. Yet, you seem to have locked yourself up for way too long. So long that you seem to have forgotten how to let people _in_. I want to be the one to open you up. I want to be that key. That one key…to your heart."

 _Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump._

His lips met hers again, indigo colors swimming in ruby eyes.

"May I?"

And she kissed him.

* * *

She did not know how, why, and what happened. But she did it anyway. Was it her gut, her mind, or her heart? She did not know anymore. All she knew was that something—curiosity? loneliness? _magic?_ —pulled her to him. She was deeply, terribly, regrettably attracted to him.

And she wanted more.

Sitting by the wooden table in the small open kitchen, Tifa watched in amusement as the raven-haired man crack several eggs, beat the eggs, and fry the eggs. It had always been her who did the cooking, so for the second time in two days, she entertained herself by watching someone else cook. She couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" Zack asked absentmindedly. All attention was focused on the frying pan in front of him.

Curious ruby eyes marveled at the man standing before her. He was much taller and much broader than a certain someone. His tanned, glowing skin reflected his sunshine persona. His muscular chest heaved against the white teeshirt. His firm lips curved ever so slightly on his chiseled face. His beautiful blue, indigo eyes filled with determination. His raven spikes glistened in the morning sun.

Sweat started to form above furrowed brows as he threw some bacon into the pan, oil spitting onto his hand.

"Ouch!"

"You okay?" Instinctively, Tifa placed a wet towel onto his hand. "Be careful."

A naive grin appeared on Zack's face. "Thanks," he winked. "Like the saying goes, _behind every successful man, there is a woman_."

Blood rushed to Tifa's cheeks as she swiftly looked away, hiding behind her bangs. Spotting the scrambled eggs on the plate, she took a small bite and gave a great big shudder.

"Oh god it's so salty!" she exclaimed.

"Hmm, maybe I was too distracted," Zack said thoughtfully.

"By what?"

"By you of course," he cooed.

Tifa rolled her eyes, despite feeling her face burn. "A big fat F."

"Well," the man flashed his dazzling eyes at the barmaid, "definitely no _F_ in the bedroom, right?"

And she choked and blushed and coughed and scurried into the bathroom.

Zack laughed.

* * *

Quickly washing the dishes, Zack settled himself next to the woman on the beanbag lounge. He glanced at the clock. Noticing the man's eyes, Tifa spoke up.

"I think I should go," she said. "I need to run some errands—"

"No, stay," Zack insisted.

"But don't you have plans today?" Her eyes darted to the clock.

"Nope, not at all," Zack replied. "Just gotta finish a bit of work, that's all."

Tifa perked an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought you don't need to work," she teased.

"Of course I do!" the man laughed. "I have my own business."

"What sort of business?" Tifa asked. What business would be stimulating and exciting enough for this active ex-SOLDIER? She was intrigued.

"Mercenary," he said proudly. "A do-everything business."

Something in her clicked and her heart started pounding loudly. Her palms were suddenly filled with cold sweat. The same feeling creeped into her mind. Again. There was _something_ about the two of them that just seemed _so_ similar, too similar in fact… Before Tifa could unravel her tangled thoughts, Zack continued.

"I'm heading to Junon later," he said. "You have the day off, don't you? Why don't you join me?"

"Join you?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah, just a day trip. We'll be back by night fall." He motioned to the large bottle of wine. "Need to bring that baby to a client today."

"Well, I—"

"It'll be fun!" Zack beamed. "I'll treat you to a nice restaurant."

"But I'm still wearing my clothes from yesterday…" she muttered embarrassingly.

"We'll stop by the inn and you can change."

"But—"

"The food's there is _heavenly_. Man, do I miss their escargot!"

"I can't—"

"I promise you, it'll be worth it. Every single bite of it."

His eyes sparkled with glistening shades of blue. His grin was a thousand watts, bright and infectious. His body was practically jumping with excitement.

Ruby eyes closed in defeat, Tifa couldn't help but grin and gave a soft nod. Zack gave a loud whoop and kissed her.

Once again, she surrendered to the golden light welcoming her with open arms. The only question was, would she get burned?

While waiting for Zack as he packed up for his traveling, Tifa's eyes moved to the clock again. 10:05AM.

The two had spent nearly 24 hours together. She chewed her inner lip. Was this really okay? _This_ as in…what? The two of them seeing each other? The two of them dating? The two of them in a relationship? In a _committed_ relationship? Truthfully, Tifa was nervous about "dating" someone. She had never even dated anyone in her teens, what with all the boys leaving the village for work. And when she settled down in Midgar, the only thing she focused on was revenge. And then, the closest thing she had to a relationship was with _him_ and _that_ was difficult and complicated and overwhelming…

 _Well, did you enjoy last night?_ Oddly, her mind spoke in Yuffie's annoying, teasing tone.

Tifa rolled her eyes.

Sure, it was…enjoyable. It was, for some strange reason, something that she seemed to _need_ without her knowing. Something that she was unconsciously seeking for—the warmth, the touch, the _closeness_ of just being wrapped tightly in someone's arms. And it felt wonderful to be embraced so firmly, so passionately by someone again. It made her feel warm and skin-tingly…like human. And perhaps, this was why she was afraid. What if she liked the _intimacy_ but not exactly _him_? Was that even possible?

And how was she to know whether he could be trusted? He may be all sweet, sugary words, but he could end up being an even bigger jerk, a player who slept with every girl in town.

 _Well, what's there to lose?_ Yuffie's tone again. _Live in the moment! Carpe diem! You're young! Enjoy life! Go with it! Have fun now and think later—_

Tifa squeezed her eyes shut frustratingly. _Never in a million years am I sharing details about my sex life with Yuffie…_

"Yo, Teef!" Zack's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Ready to go?"

Her eyes opened and found herself staring into a deep sea of blues and violets.

"What's wrong?" Zack grinned. Gently, he placed his index finger on her forehead. "You have this deep wrinkle when you furrow your brow. It's cute."

Cheeks heated up in a nanosecond. There was no stopping her blood from boiling at the mere slightest touch or a simple, innocent flirt.

"C'mon, Miss _Tomato_ ," the man teased, "let's go."

The two gathered their belongings and walked toward the door. Zack turned the doorknob and at once, came face to face with his dark-haired friend, who had a hand up, ready to press the doorbell.

"Hey man— _whoa!_ "

Kunsel's hazel eyes grew wide like saucers as he took in the scene in front of him. He scanned from left to right, from Zack to Tifa, then whistled softly.

"Why, good morning, Ms. Tifa! What a surprise to see you here," he grinned.

Face flushed bright red, Tifa cleared her throat. "Good morning…Kunsel."

"No wonder you said you were _busy_ today, _Zack_ …" He winked at his friend.

"I am," Zack frowned, slightly annoyed. "Heading to Junon now."

"With Tifa?" Kunsel smirked.

"Yeahhh…" The man stole a peek at the woman beside him (who was still red like a tomato). "C'mon," he hissed, pushing his friend out of the way and closing the door behind him, "we'll chat later."

After bidding hasty goodbyes to Kunsel, Zack led Tifa to the back of his hut, all the while darting anxious glances at her.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "Didn't expect he'll drop by."

Tifa shook her head, cheeks still flushed. "It's okay."

"He's not gonna go around and tell everyone," Zack continued. "So don't worry about it."

"Okay…"

"Umm yeah," he scratched his head, convinced that he had royally fucked up this time.

They reached the makeshift garage, built with metal roofing panels and steel scaffoldings.

Pulling aside a wooden board that acted as a door, Zack said, "I thought we'll travel with the bike—"

Tifa sucked in her breath.

Sitting inside the garage was a metallic navy Hardy-Daytona that greatly reminisced the motorbike that the gang had stolen from the Shinra Building many lightyears ago. Except this bike had a matching metallic navy sidecar with two white, vertical stripes on the body.

Sensing Tifa's reaction, Zack tilted his head, a peculiar expression on his face. "You seem to know a bit about bikes…?"

"Oh," the barmaid blinked several times and shook her head. "It's just…I've been on one before. Hardy-Daytona, I mean. Sort of. A friend kinda had one…ages ago."

"Hmm…" Zack looked thoughtful, but quickly smiled. "Kunsel got this for me when I started my business. Some old man wanted to sell it and he thought it was perfect for me."

"It's nice."

"C'mon! Nice is an understatement!" the man exclaimed, voice filled with enthusiasm. "It's _superbly_ beautiful!"

The barmaid giggled. _Men and their toys…_

Placing a hand on the bike, Zack traced along the shiny body. "It was originally black," he explained, delicately examining a particular spot and then rubbing it vigorously. "But black seemed too dull for me. I wanted somethin' flashy. You know, to match me," he winked.

Tifa rolled her eyes but continued smiling.

"So I spray painted it myself and voila! My perfect bike."

"Well, I guess I better be careful with it, huh?" the woman smirked.

"You're an exception." Zack crossed his arms and grinned. "I'll let you do anything with it. And with _me_ ," he added, eyes twinkling.

Laughing and blushing, Tifa shook her head and turned toward the vehicle. "Well? Aren't you gonna stop by the inn?"

"Yeah!"

Carefully, he placed the huge bottle of alcohol and a manila envelope into the sidecar.

"But…?"

Zack glanced up and saw Tifa's confused expression. "Hmm?"

"Aren't I sitting in there?" she questioned, awkwardly pulling on her leather shorts.

"No way!" He walked toward the other side of the bike and patted the back, leather seat. "There's enough room for two here."

Wine-colored eyes widened. "Umm I think I'd be more comfortable sitting in the sidecar…"

"Nah-ah!" Zack shook his head. "The wheels will pick up the rocks and dirt from the roads. That's too much pollution for my dear Tifa. You're sitting on the bike here with me."

Without further ado, Zack reached for a helmet and slipped it onto the barmaid's head.

" _You look hot in helmet and leather_ ," he whispered, eyeing Tifa from top to bottom and back again.

Although her face was nearly hidden by the helmet, Tifa was quite certain whatever skin that was unhidden turned bright red, and the man was bound to see it. Because he continued to grin as he pulled on his own helmet, a teasing glint in his blue-violet eyes.

* * *

After stopping by the motel to let Tifa quickly change her clothes, they started toward Junon. The journey itself was quite uneventful. The long winding road was much more developed compared to the dirt roads back in the Meteorfall days. Half of the travel was on concrete highways. Traffic was smooth, and it took them a little over two hours to get to the port city. By the time they arrived at the lower town, it was already half past one.

The moment she stepped into the town, Tifa knew she made a mistake. The familiar fume floating out of the chimneys. The familiar salty scent of the less polluted sea. The familiar grayish tone of the hidden skies. Everything was all too familiar. She was certain that one second or another she would see familiar faces. Especially a _particular_ , familiar face. A face with thin lips, azure eyes, and pale skin.

Junon was one of the cities most frequented by him. It was, after all, a connecting point to the many continents. He would take Fenrir on the boat rides with him and continue his travel to wherever he was headed. Sometimes, if time allowed, Cid would fly him on Shera, accompanying the delivery boy on his trips. But she digressed…

Sharp, ruby eyes were now darting left and right, front and back, here and there, with every step she took. What if she saw him _here_? What if _he_ saw _her_ with another _man_? Tifa bit her lip anxiously as she followed Zack toward the Upper City. What would he think? What should she do? She felt like a silly teenager hiding from her crush.

Once in the safe confines of the elevator, Tifa took a deep breath.

Zack noticed and smiled. "You must be hungry?"

The barmaid blinked and gave a soft nod. _No really, I'm just preoccupied…_

"Just gimme five minutes to drop this off," he motioned to the big bottle on his shoulder, muscular biceps stretching his black shirt, "then we'll head off to lunch."

Tifa gave another nod and remained quiet.

The two walked out into bright, warm sunshine as the elevator door closed behind them.

"Feels great to be under the sun again!" Zack beamed and started toward the east, where lines of boutiques stretched as far as the eyes could see.

Upper Junon was even more prosperous than before. With oil becoming more and more of a daily necessity, the town acted as the most important port city for shipping companies. Merchants from around the world gathered in the town for businesses and trades. Thus, more and more stores and hotels were established at Upper Junon to attract travelers, along with luxurious houses being built along the hillside, overlooking the great, wide ocean.

The woman followed, strolling past branded shops and fancy hotels. Yet again, red eyes started scanning around her. Blonde-haired women, blonde-haired men. Brown spikes, black spikes. Black dresses, black jeans. No sign of him. Yet.

After walking a block down the street, Zack stopped in front of a small liquor store.

"Here we are." He wiped a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. "Let's go in—"

"No."

Tifa's eyes grew wide as she stared at the shop. She knew this shop. She knew this shop because of him. She had previously accompanied the man for a delivery to this exact same shop not just once but many times. The owner would recognize her instantly.

Zack turned around, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "What?"

"Uh, I'll just wait you over there," Tifa pointed across the street. "There's something I want to see."

"Oh, all right," the man smiled. "I'll be quick."

Swiftly crossing the street, Tifa ducked into a store selling trinkets and sorts. Through the window, she glanced toward the liquor store, now two shops away across the road from her. The raven-haired man was talking animatedly with the owner, a balding man in his fifties.

" _Why the hell are you hiding like this?_ " she gritted her teeth.

She hated her own passiveness. So what if others saw her with another man? It wasn't like she and Cloud were a _thing_ … Despite so, living with the man in a house with two children made everything so much more complicated. Explaining to people often ended up with even more awkward questions and unsolicited comments. People often thought they were _already_ married, and hence, the children. Or in some scenarios, they were the unconventional _unmarried_ couple _with_ children. In the end, they didn't even bother explaining anymore. Because, what was the point? What they learned the hard way was that people were quick to judge. And people would judge no matter what. No arguing with that.

Turning her focus to the small accessories in front of her, the barmaid instantly became mesmerized by the handmade items. Tifa Lockhart had always been fond of jewelry, especially earrings. Nothing fancy, but enough to add some spark or spice up her normally bland outfit.

Her eyes roamed over beaded necklaces, leather bracelets, silver earrings, and gemstone rings. At once, a particular glass pendant caught her attention. She picked it up. It was cool to the touch. Made of transparent and blue-colored glass, the pendant was shaped in a teardrop. Due to the shades of blue and the light reflected through the transparent glass, it looked like a droplet of water straight from the sea. A thin silver necklace dangled from the top.

"It's beautiful."

The voice sent shivers down her spine. She turned and black raven spikes poked her.

"Buy it," Zack grinned.

Tifa shook her head. "It's nice, but I don't really wear necklaces…"

"It matches you."

"But it'll break easily. It's glass."

"Not if you took care of it."

It really was beautiful, exquisite, and delicate. But she rarely wore necklaces, because they interfered with her fighting. Tifa flipped over the price tag. _Dang_. Way too expensive to her liking. She shook her head once more and placed the pendant back down.

"Let's go for lunch," she said.

"…All right."

* * *

It was a small, cozy restaurant, hidden in a quiet road, away from the hustle and bustle of the main street. The soft glow emitting from the windows reminded Tifa of a warm campfire burning. Inside, small round tables and wooden cushioned chairs scattered here and there. Several large ceiling fans spun lazily overhead. The attendant, dressed in a smart white shirt and black bow tie, led them to a table next to the windows, looking out to the busy street.

Quickly asking if Tifa had any preferences, Zack ordered two lunch sets.

"I'm _starving_." The man patted his stomach.

Tifa returned a soft smile. Unconsciously, she scanned her surroundings again. With several tables occupied with what appeared to be mainly couples, the restaurant was rather empty. The atmosphere was no doubt a perfect choice for a romantic date. She blanched at the thought.

"You've been acting kinda weird ever since we arrived town. You kept looking behind your back," Zack observed. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What is it? A creepy stalking ex in town?" he teased.

Ruby eyes widened, ears burning. "What? No!"

The man tilted his head, a smile tugging on his chiseled face. "Then what?"

"N-nothing," Tifa muttered, hiding behind her bangs. "I'm just looking around, that's all." _Just in case I bump into someone I know…_ Instinctively, her eyes darted out the restaurant window, quickly scanning the passersby.

Zack couldn't help but flash an evil grin. "Speaking of…" he propped his chin on his elbow, Mako blue eyes shining, "so, who was the lucky guy who had the pleasure of being your first boyfriend?"

"First boyfriend…?"

"Yeah, tell me about him."

"Umm…" Tifa kept her eyes down.

"Don't tell me there's no ex?" Zack asked, eyebrows raised in shock.

She glanced up, utterly embarrassed. "I…we weren't…really…" _What should I say? We weren't even "officially" together._

Zack stared at the woman with the most serious expression she had ever seen on his face. Brows deeply furrowed. Eyes slightly squinted. Lips firmly tightened. For a moment, he just stared in disbelief, unsure of what to say, yelling a million "what"s in his mind. Blinking away his thoughts, he frowned.

"Well then, tell me about the asshole who's been making you sad, because I can't stand to see you sad."

Tifa gaped, shocked at the sudden harsh words. "Please don't call him that," she defended (though she tend to agree the "a" word described that man perfectly). "He's…a good person."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. He's kind and caring…benevolent and selfless…strong and swift…" She stared at her fingers. "He's shy but in a cute, Cloud way—" She caught herself and stopped, ashamed at her outburst.

"Hmm he kinda sounds like me." Zack's grin returned. "Except I'm not an asshole."

Tifa pursed her lips.

"And, there's one thing that I'm definitely better than Mr. _Cloud_." He didn't miss a beat.

"What?"

"I make you smile."

Tifa blinked several times, heat returning to her cheeks.

"Isn't it true? I make you smile, right? All he did was make you cry."

"I…" Tifa hesitated.

Was it true? Was it true that all the blonde ever did was break her heart and make her… cry? Memories of their times spent together… All the obstacles they hurdled together… The few intimate encounters they secretly shared together… Those were sweet. Right? But what about the abandonment she felt when he left the family? The loneliness she felt when he chose to push her away? The coldness she felt when he did not reciprocate her love? So was it true then? Was Zack correct? Her heart tightened. She didn't want to agree. She didn't want to believe.

"No, you're wrong." The words flew out of her lips without thinking.

Zack blinked, genuine surprise in his eyes. Sighing, a small, wistful smile surfaced. "He must be…really important to you."

Tifa bit her inner cheek. Glass of water in her hand, she twirled the cup, watching the ice cubes clinking onto each other. "…He was…" ( _still is_ ), "…We've known each other since we were young." _And went through a hell lot of things together._

"Oh, so a childhood sweetheart?"

She shrugged, unsure of what to answer. They were more than just a few simple words could describe. They were more than just _complicated_. Thankfully, the appetizer (the stuffed escargot Zack raved about earlier) arrived, successfully changing the subject.

* * *

 _GROWLMMM._

A loud rumble erupted somewhere nearby. Tifa glanced up at the clear skies, late afternoon sun casting a gentle orange glow on the town.

"Huh." Zack gazed up as well. "Strange. No clouds in sight. Wonder where that thunder came from?"

 _Ding._

The elevator arrived, distracting their thoughts.

"If a thunderstorm is coming, guess we better leave quickly before we get soaked from the rain."

Tifa agreed.

Reaching the quiet town below once more, they walked through the darkened streets and toward the rubble grounds that acted as a parking lot. With Upper Junon surging with traders and visitors in every corner, returning to the lower idle town was a sharp contrast to the active life above them. It was like a juxtaposition of fantasy versus reality. If Tifa could choose, she would probably choose the former. Fantasy was always better than reality. At least it felt warmer.

"Did you have a good time?" the man asked.

Smiling, Tifa nodded. "Yes, I did. Thank you for treating me to lunch." Despite she insisted to pay her share of the meal, Zack had brushed her off, claiming it was a man's job.

"You're welcome," he grinned. "Did you like the escargot?"

"It was delicious."

Buttery and full of herbs, the stuffed escargot was unlike anything she had ever tasted. Although it did sound kind of disgusting, knowing what it was before being cooked. Even the grilled grasshoppers Barret once made the team chew on while traveling through a thick forest sounded less disgusting. Sort of.

Zack beamed. "Let me try to cook it for you next time."

"You?" Tifa was incredulous. Surely even a skillful chef like the barmaid herself wouldn't be able to whip up something like that without actually _learning_ it.

The man smirked. "Trust me, I serve really, _really_ good food. But of course," the spark in his indigo eyes darkened with that strange Mako glow, "I'm best served in bed."

Tifa bit her lips from laughing too hard.

Not many motorcycles were parked in the lot, so they easily found the man's navy bike in the sea of vehicles. Tifa climbed onto the back of the bike and was about to put on her helmet when Zack stopped her.

"Hang on."

"Hmm?"

Wine-colored eyes widened in shock as she watched him pull out a familiar, blue object from the pocket of his jeans.

"Zack…?"

He grinned, cheeks slightly flushed. "For you."

Swiftly and skillfully, Zack reached out and clasped the necklace around her neck. The glass teardrop pendant sat above her white blouse, shining brilliantly like a delicate droplet of ocean water under the early sunset.

"Zack…" Tifa held the pendant in her fingers, heart suddenly tightening. "I can't accept this."

"You have to." The man crossed his arms, voice adamant. "It's a gift for you. You can't say no."

She frowned slightly. "But I—"

"You can thank me later with a gift for me."

He was looking at her with those round, violet eyes—which reminded her of puppy eyes for some reason—pleading her to accept the gift.

"But what if I break it…?" Tifa murmured.

Pendant still in her hand, she turned it in her fingers. Colors of the ocean, colors of the sea, colors of the waters. It was beautiful, and she loved it so much and was so hypnotized by it she was sure she could just sit and stare at it for the entire day—but, how could she accept it?

"You won't break it," Zack smiled. He leaned over, nose touching hers. "I know it'll be loved under your special care." Softly, his lips touched hers. "You love it and you know it."

* * *

AN: I had a hard time deciding on the perfect vehicle for Zack. I've never played Crisis Core, so I wasn't sure if Zack drove any cars or rode any bikes in the game (unlike Cloud, who is obviously a motorbike guy) and couldn't find anything on google. But I decided to choose the motorbike for Zack as well, because, well, it'll add to the list of "similarities."

Again, please go vote for your favorite man in the poll on my profile. :)


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